After the Optoma HD8000 replaced last year’s HD80, Optoma created the HD806 for a different segment of projector enthusiasts. While the projector is still being positioned in their home theater line, the HD806 excels in more light output than other projectors in the Optoma line. According to the specs, the Optoma HD806 has a maximum of 2,000 lumens, but contrast and color saturation are somewhat reduced.

The HD806 is nearly completely white with silver trim for the lens. The lens is mounted on the left side of the projector, which pushes out beyond the sloped front. The manual zoom correction is inset at the back of lens and the remote control sensor is mounted just to the right of the lens. The top of the unit displays the control panel including the power, menu, directional and enter buttons. These buttons are lit in bright blue when the projector is on On the bottom of the front of the projector, there are two adjustable feet for positioning it on a coffee table.

The input panel is placed on the rear of the unit and contains one composite RCA jack, one S-Video jack, one component video input, one DVI input with HDCP, on RS-232 control port and two HDMI 1.3 inputs. The projector can output video from 480i to 1080p resolution. The projector is fairly light, approximately 10 pounds. I hooked up a few different sources, a Sony BDP-S1 Blu-ray player, an HD DirectTV DVR and a Xbox 360. Start-up time is fast, approximately 30 seconds until it’s ready to go. Shutdown takes a bit longer, clocking in around 50 to 60 seconds.

The on-screen setup menu was generally simply to navigate. In the general setup section, there are language options, a switch for users at high altitudes, an auto power off option and the reset function. The system menu contained lamp setting including hours used and reminders for replacement. There are also settings to modify the projection angle, adjust the screen with a test pattern and change the background colors upon startup. The display menu was fairly standard including overscan, edge mask, image shift, vertical keystone and superwide options. Extended Image options included noise reduction, gamma / degamma adjustments, edge enhancement and color temperature Overall, the menus are simple to navigate, but you do end up pushing into about 3 levels of sub-menus in certain sections.

The remote offers direct access to some picture adjustment functions including brightness, contrast, image AI, gamma, iris and Bright mode. There was also preset buttons for source adjustment including 16:9, 4:3, Native and Letterbox. I also liked the direct buttons for inputs as I despise rolling thought inputs to find the one I need. The remote has direct buttons for both HDMI inputs, DVI, component, S-video and composite. The shift up and down buttons allow for movement of the picture position in case you like repositioning a widesceen output. The remote has an excellent range as the IR sensor is very sensitive. The green backlight is turned on by hitting any button on the remote. I loved the number of options on the remote, but it does feel somewhat crowded.